Improvement in ditching-machines



- I 2 Shets SheetZ.

T. F. RAN D0 LPH.

Ditching-Machine. N 159,118, PatentedJan. 26,1875),

partly in section, through the line 11 v, Fig. 1.

, bearing, the pivots, and the lugged plate, in

0f the ditcher, and with the axle swiveled to rim to take up the soil from the bottom of the UNITED. STATES THEODORE F. RANDOLPH, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY.

l-MPROVEMENT IN BUSHING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 59,! ES, dated January 26,1875; application filed December 12. 1874.

.To all whom it may concern:

.Beit known that I, THEODORE .F. RAN- DOLPH, of Morristown, in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ditching Machine, of which the following is a specification: p

Figure 1', Sheet 1, is a side View of my improved machine. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a rear view of the same, partly in section, through the line w m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a detail section taken through the line 00 in, Fig. 1-. Fig.4, Sheet 2, is a detail view of the forward wheels, axle, and swivel, partly in section, through the line 3 y, Fig. 1, Fig. 5, Sheet 2, is a detail top view of the forward draftbar,

Fig. 6 is a detail top View of the feed-device.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding-parts.

My invention has for its object to furnish an proved ditching-machine, which shall be. so'constructed as to work equally well in clayey or sticky soils, and in sandy or loose soils, which maybe readily adjusted and controlled, so as to sink a vertical ditch upon inclined or uneven ground, and which will enable the ditching-wheel tobe readily fed down as the ditch increases in depth. The lIlVGIltlOllCOll sists in anovelcombination of parts for adjusting the angle and height of the shoe with relation to the ditching-wheel, in the ballcombination with the king-bolt, the forward axle, and the forward draft-bar of the ditcher; in the combination of the two drums, the two screw-wheels, the two swiveled screws, and the two cords or chains with the frame-work the rear end of the rear draft-bar of the ditcher in the combination of the swiveled screw-rod, thetwo swiveled. screw-wheel nuts, and the two screws with the front and rear draft-bars, and with the frame-work and the ditchingwheel of the ditcher, as .hereinafter fully described;

A is the ditching-wheel, which is made large and narrow, and with a flanged or channeled ditch and discharge it upon the ground at the side of the said ditch.- The wheel A is placed between the side bars of the upright frame B, and its journals work in bearings in the middle parts of the lower side bars, which are strengthened by. the inclined or V bars I).

The frame B thus rides upon the journals of the ditching-wheel A. C is the forward draft--- bar, whichis slotted from its rear end to receive the forward parts of the frame 13, and

wheel A, and the rear ends of its arms or branches are pivoted to the opposite journals of the saidwheel A. D is a ball, which is placed upon the rounded forward end of the bar 0, where it is secured in place by a nut or nuts screwed upon the end of the said bar 0. In the opposite sides of the ball D are formed holes to receive the forward ends of two screwpins, E, which pass in through screw-holes in the lugs 01' studs f, formed upon or attached to the plate F. The plate F is pivoted by a king-bolt, Gr, to the middle part of the forward is attached the tongue J, to which the draft is applied, and by which the "machine is guided.

K is the rear draft-bar, the forward. part of which is slotted to receive the rearpart of the wheel A and the frame B, and the forwardends of its arms or branches are pivoted to the opposite journals of the said wheel A. The rear end of the draft ba r K is made round, is passed'through a liole in the middle part of the rear axle, L, and is secured in place by one or more nuts. This allows the rear axle to be inclined in either direction to accommodate it to the surface of the ground. Upon the journals of the axle L are placed small wide-rimmed wheels M, and the said axle is held atright angles with the bar K by rods N, the rear ends of which are pivoted to the axle L. The forward ends of the rods N have hooks formed upon them, which hook into eyes attached to the forward part of the arms of the rear draft-bar K. The edges of 1 the flanges of the ditching-wheel A are made sharp, so that they may be sunk into the soil atthe bottom of the ditch by the weight Oriana .whel A... and mate B, .Iso as "to separate the sides of the slice of soil to be raised from the sides of the ditch. The bottom of the slice thus separated andpacked into the channel of the wheel A is separated from the soil at the bottom of the ditch by -the shoe 0, which is made of such a size as to fit into the channel of thewheel The shoe 0 is pivoted at the middle part of its rear side to a block, P, that slides up and;

down upon a way formed to receive it upon the forward side of the rear post of the frame I B; Q is a hand-screw, which is swivele'd to.

the upper part of the frame B, passes down along the forward side of the rear post of said frame B, and enters a sc'rew-holein-the upper end of the sliding block P,'soithat the said block P, and with'itthe shoe 0,-can be raised'and lowered as desired by turning the hand-screw Q. Y To the 'rear side of the shoe-O, at or near its pivoting-point, is rigidly attached, or'upon it is formed, an arm,'-R,' that .passes back through a slot' in the-lower-end of the rear post of the frameB, and to its rear end, upon .the rear side of said post, is .hingedthe lower end of a screw, S. The screw. 8 passes up along the rear side of the said rear post of the frame B, and passes through a lug, 1), formedupon the rearside of the upper end ofvthe sliding block 1?, and which projects I through a longitudinal slot .in the ,said rea r :post, so thatythe arm R and screw ,Sunay.

more up and down with the sliding block 1? and, shoeO. The lug .11 is slotted horizons; tally from its rear end, to receive thehand nut T,- through whichthe screws passes' By this arrangement, by turning the nut T the screw ,8 maybe moved up and dowuto jwork theshoe 0 upon its pivot.

' When the ditcher is to 'bc ,usedin some s oil t'he'nut'T is turnedto force the screw S downward. This movement forces the, lower end of'the 'shoeiO into the channel of the wheel A, "and the upper end of said shoe 0 outward. A 'By this adjustment the space between: the

shoe 0 and. wheel A will he smallest at the lower end of said shoe,and will gradually in; crease in'size, so'that only a thin slice of soil can be taken up, which slice will pass through 'a's'pace gradually increasing in size, so that it will not 'be'liable' to pack and'clog the ma,

chine.

I I When the ambe is to' be'used in other soils, the nut T is turned to draw the-screw" S upward, which throwsthe lower and of the shoe '0' outward, and its upper end inward. This adjustment makes the space between the shoe 0 and wheel Alar'ge'st at the lower end 7 of theshoeO, so that a thicker slice may be taken'up, andmaybe packedmoreand more closelyasit'passesup'r f 1 As the soil'passingup leaves theupper end of the shoe-,it is kept in place hypan endless belt that 'passes' around two rollers, U V. The lower roller, U, i's' 'pivoted to a frame, W, which is secured in an'inclinedpositio'nto which is provided witlra tongue, which enters the channelof the wheel A, and serves as a V ,scraperto disengage the soil from said channel. a z A are two screws, placed the onefin front and the'othe'r in the rear-of the frame B, and

inthesameverti'c'al planewith said frame: Upon the lower-ends ofthe screws A are' formed cross-heads, of such a length as to fit into the outer parts of the slots inthe draftbars 0 K, and the ends. of which are pivoted tothe arms of said draft-barsn 'llhe screws. A pass up through guide-holes in the frames- B,;attachcd-'to the upperv ends'of the posts of the frame'B, and through nuts 0, swiveled to said frames B." Upon therims of the nuts 6 are formed half screw-threads, which fit into" threads formed upon the rod-D, which works in bearings in;the frames 13, so that,1by turn in g the screw-rod v-D in-one or the other direc-v tion, the nuts C 'will he turned 'to lower: or

raise the screws-A, andwith them the frame B and ditching-wheeliA! The screw-rod D i operated by a crank,-- E, attacho to. its

rear end, To lthe rear partof the rearframe',

B, :is attached a short horizontal shaft, F, upon which are placed two drums, G, to: the outer ends of which are: attached two-screwwheels, H, the threads .of ,whichmfit intothe threads of two transverse screws, 1' swiveled to the said frame 13, and operated, by cranks J attached to theirendslj l,othe t.wodrums, G, are-attachedthe ends of two cords. or.

chains,- K, the I othenen'ds ,of whicham at: tached to therear axle,'-L,,near'its ends."

' {By this constru tion, "DY-turning{thejtwo drm'nsflG', in opposite directions by; means of r the; swiveled crank screws J, I, one of the cords or chains LK will be wound ,upon'oneof the said drums G,,"alud then-other [cord or;

chain, "Kflfn'zill he unwound fr oni, the 1 other drum, G, which. enables the frame B and -whel' A to be held in a. vertical: position, w e the axle'L- is inclined in either direction 1 loyits' wheels; in passing over, unew eu or in;-

clined" ground,

machine.

To 5 the opposite" sides of the 110we1 11apr the front post of the-frame B are attachedftwo ditch, and enable the ditchin gwheel A to work 1 freely and without binding.

. 2 Having thus described my invention, I'claim By' this construction all the? necessary ustments can be'ma'd'e without stuppingthe menus e as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent 1. The combination of the sliding block P, screw-s QB, mm B, and shoe 0, the letter being piv'oted between its extremities, and near the middle thereof, to the sliding block, and rigidly secured to or formed in one piece with the'arm R, substantially as and for the purpose specifiedl .2. The ball-bearing D, pivots E, and lugged plate F, in combination with the king-bolt G,

the forward axle, H, and the forward. draft 'bar G of the ditcher, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. Thecombination of the two drums, G,

the two screw-wheels, H, the two swiveled screws, 1 J, and the two cords or chains, K,

with the frame-work B B of the ditcher, and with the axle L, "swiveled to the rear end of the rear draft-bar, K, of the ditclier, substantially as herein shown and described.

THEO. F. RANDOLPH.

Witnesses:

JAMES T. GRAHAM, T. B. MOSHER. 

